(no subject)

catalogue of the universe
with apologies to Margaret Mahy

start on the ground floor
and work your way up
        (ground floor ought to be
        appropriately named; look here for
        geology and the taste of dirt,
        perhaps also geography and
        something about
        earthquakes.)

by the time you reach the top floor
you will have passed through all the universe.

you may be climbing a long time.
        (fortunately there are stairs,
        lifts, and sometimes
        catalogues who can direct you where to go;
        should you desire direction.)

the first floor might be all about humanity,
the things we know first and foremost,
like how to hurt your brother,
how to kiss your mother,
the shape and fine patterning of the bones
in your youngest sister's hands.

second floor: dinosaurs!
- and other sorts of bones inhuman,
old. this is where imagination
takes hold
and colours in the spaces.

somewhere in the middle are treetops,
leafy green and birdsnests,
instructions for how to make a treehouse,
the geometry of ladders
and the formation of swings and seesaws.

followed directly by the sea,
the cries of seagulls,
salt and sweat and tears,
sand in the sandwiches
and how to grind seashells into dust
in order that they may be washed away.

the second to last floor
is the things we are all trying to forget
look here for russian novels, grief
and political commentary,
including systems of government
and the wages of war.

and on the top floor find the sky,
the whys of winds and weather,
the shapes and naming of the stars,
drawings of the wings of birds
and explanations of their hollow bones,
the wild heights of feeling
& of flight.

to take it all out
up the last staircase
and onto the roof.
oxygen molecules and the spaces between them.
        (at last you have it,
        air and the secrets of breathing.)

(no subject)

Also, and importantly: Goodbye 5c coin, hello... new, shiny, much, much smaller ten, twenty and fifty cent pieces!



And the 10c has a bronze finish now, too.

omfg this is actually sort of exciting?

(no subject)

Aaaaand it's been awhile since I did the lyric meme, and I'm booooored. So! You know the drill, 20 songs, random select, favourite lyrics, I post 'em, you guess artist & title.

1. I'm asking you please no!
It isn't right, it isn't fair,
there was no parking anywhere!
The Parking Ticket/No Parking - OMWF
sennical promptly followed by a good half dozen others including the information that Marti Noxon sings this, which I never knew!

2. Now when the radical priest come to get me released
We was all on the cover of Newsweek.
Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard - Paul Simon
manic_subbie

3. And if I seem awful distrusting I am
You said you wouldn't do it again,
You said we wouldn't do it again.
Time that you go,
Time for you to see,
You're not helping yourself by hurting me.
Better - Brooke Fraser
shoeless_girl

4. Laughing on the bus
Playing games with the faces
She said the man in the gaberdine suit was a spy;
I said, be careful, his bowtie is really a camera.
America - Simon & Garfunkel
Simon & Garfunkel

5. No man could understand,
My power is in my own hands
Ooh- people talk about you,
People say you've had your day.
Princes of the Universe - Queen
botrytis

6. Dreamin' awhile, schemin' awhile,
you're sure to find happiness,
and I guess, all of those things
you've always pined for.
I Can't Give You Anything by Love - The NZ Secondary Schools' Choir
-- Catherine D, who saw this and actually texted me in her glee; congrats, Cat. :P

7. Love ends in a fire,
Fire through the streets,
Set them alight.
Say After Me - Bic Runga
chattycheese

8. Nothing worth having comes without some kind of fight,
Gotta kick at the darkness til it bleeds daylight.
Lovers in a Dangerous Time - Barenaked Ladies
nenfea

9. Baby's good to me,
You know she's happy as can be,
You know she said so.
I Feel Fine - The Beatles
nenfea

10. Snakes in the grass beneath our feet,
Rain in the clouds above,
Some moments last forever,
and some flare out in love.

11. And as for me, as for me
I made my mind up back in Chelsea,
When I go I'm going like Elsie!
Cabaret - Liza Minelli (Cabaret OST)
keymash

12. So excuse me forgetting but these things I do
You see I've forgotten if they're green or they're blue
Anyway the thing is what I really mean
Yours are the sweetest eyes I've ever seen.
Your Song - Ewan McGregor et al (Moulin Rouge OST)
keymash

13. And sappy songs about sex and cheating
Bland accounts of two lovers meeting
Make me want to give mankind a beating.
And you might say it's self-destructive,
But you see I'd kick the bucket
Fifty times before I'd kick the habit.
Bad Habit - The Dresden Dolls
manic_subbie

14. To be together in this air we breathe,
You say forever, but I know you've gotta go
What is it you are, are you a dream?

15. And though you say that it's OK with you
Although today has run away from you
I won't believe you tonight.

16. But now she might leave
Like she's threatened before
Grab hold of her fast
Before her feet leave the floor
And she's out the door
'cause you want
to keep her in your pocket
You've Got Her In Your Pocket - The White Stripes
manic_subbie

17. Her whole world's come undone
From looking straight into the sun.
Janie's Got A Gun - Aerosmith
keymash

18. Blood loss in a bathroom stall
Southern girl with a scarlet drawl
Wave good-bye to ma and pa
Scar Tissue - RHCP
chattycheese

19. Things ain't cooking in my kitchen,
Strange affliction wash over me.
Julius Caesar and the Roman Empire
Couldn't conquer the blue sky.
Weather With You - Crowded House
manic_subbie

20. With the lights on, it's less dangerous
Here we are now, entertain us.
Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana
keymash

Every time I do this meme I remember just how much Simon & Garfunkel I have on here (about one and a half gigs, which is not insignificant on a 40G harddrive.) I, um, cheat with this meme, and only put on the first two S&G songs. :P Otherwise it would be about half them - I don't know why, as I do have another 15 or so gigs of, you know, different artists. Just one of those things, I guess.